Chapter 18 – Tension


This was not supposed to happen, but looking back it was a stupid oversight on her part to not plan for this.

'Naga's tits, why does he have to be so smart?' Rose was mentally kicking herself.

It was no excuse, though. She had planned contingencies for many possibilities. Not everything, as even with her knowledge Rose couldn't predict how her changes would affect the timeline or how different this Grima was when compared to her own. She shouldn't have been complacent after he accepted her lie in Ferox and think he wouldn't put things together. The longer the interacted the more little things slipped through the cracks, so it's no surprise he figured it out.

Rose would've preferred to keep their bond hidden for a while longer, at least until things calmed down, but her hand was forced by her brother of all people. She could try to play dumb, but the surprise was clear on her face and Robin had already noticed.

"Well?" her brother asked, annoyed at her silence.

"It's complicated." What else could she say?

Robin scoffed, not that she blamed him for not accepting the vague answer. "Isn't it always with you?"

He had her there. "...You have no idea."

The two Fellbloods stood at an impasse.

Rose was unwilling to talk.

Robin was unwilling to relent.

"Look," Robin finally said, trying to reason with her. "I know that you don't have bad intentions, but this is important. Tell me why I shouldn't tell this information to Chrom and Emmeryn?"

"Lady Emmeryn knows."

That information threw her brother off-balance, giving her a few extra seconds to think. "...she does?"

"So does Commander Phila." Rose shrugged; there was no point in hiding that bit of info anymore, lest it comes back and bites her in the ass. "They know. We don't share this information with others, but you can ask Emmeryn to verify that I'm telling the truth. I… I want to tell you more but now is not the right time."

"What do you mean?"

"I suppose I could tell you that I get my information from the same place as Marth, but I don't have any concrete evidence to prove it to you right now," she said. Despite everything, explaining the whole time traveling mess was not something she could afford to do right now.

Her brother crossed his arms, not amused by her vagueness. "You still haven't told me anything of substance. How am I supposed to trust you?"

Rose bit her lip. She still had a card she could afford to play, but she didn't want to use it so early. Then again, the universe wasn't going to make things easy for her.

She took a deep breath and took the risk, It was something she was getting more used to do as of late.

"I… ok, I'd lied in Ferox when I said that I didn't know anything about you."

Robin tensed and clenched his jaw. "So, we have met before?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion. She couldn't blame him. He must have felt that she had betrayed his trust.

Didn't that make her feel like a hypocrite. She shook her head. "No. We've never talked or met face-to-face before that day."

Robin's expression made it clear that the statement confused him, forcing Rose to expand on her answer.

"Damn," she cursed under her breath. Well, I might as well get this over with. Honesty and all that. "Look, it's a long and complicated story but… The reason we are so similar and why I joined the Shepherds is that… I'm your sister, of a sort, and I have been looking out for you for the past two years."

This had been a part of her long-term plan that Rose wasn't looking forward to. She was aware that Robin's link to Grima was going to be revealed eventually, but she wasn't planning on revealing to Robin their true relationship until after everything was said and done and she could disappear. A scummy move, but her mission was to protect him.

So much for that.

Taking in his shocked silence, she tried to play it off. "It's kinda obvious when you think about it. I'm actually surprised you bought my lie for so long."

Robin sat down on the couch of her office, looking at the ceiling with a frown on his face.

Taking his silence as a cue to continue, Rose did so. "You wouldn't have recognized me though. We didn't grow up together, but I knew of your existence, though not your location." A slight lie, but it made selling the narrative easier. "I mentioned it before but my life before this was… complicated. I was granted a second chance, so to speak, and was informed that I could protect a sibling I never met. Learning about you from the shadows, I couldn't help but feel protective of you. For the past two years, I've looked over you from afar. I...I can't tell you who gave me that information. At least not yet, but please know that everything I've done has been out of love."

A myriad of emotions flashed through his face, settling into a snarl. "You… All this time you knew about my past, and you said nothing to me!?" He was angry and confused, letting his emotions take the best of him. "Was all this some sort of game to you?!"

Rage suddenly blazed up in Rose's heart as her emotions got the best of her too. She had never been as angry with her brother as she was at that moment. "Don't you dare!" she shouted, slamming her hands on the table. "Everything I have done is for your own good!"

"And who are you to decide that?!" Robin pushed back. "You have no right to keep this from me!"

"I thought it was for the best! You needed to focus on the war and I couldn't risk you leaving the Shepherds to search for your past!" Even to her, that excuse felt weak. In truth, she was just afraid of what would happen if he were to step away from Shepherd's protection and never form bonds with them. "I didn't plan on staying with the Shepherds at first, so I couldn't take over for you." Which sounded even worse, but she was grasping at straws here. "I know it wasn't a perfect plan, but I was limited on what I could do!"

"Then tell me! The war is over! I have the right to know!"

"You–!"

"What is all this commotion?" a new voice rang through the room.

Rose gritted her teeth. This day just keeps getting better and better.

Turning to the door, she saw Chrom standing there, arms crossed with a frown on his face.

"Nothing serious. Just a private disagreement," Rose said with a brittle smile that clearly stated it wasn't Chrom's business.

"'Nothing serious'...Right," Robin said followed by a short, hollow laugh. "I need to clear my head. If you want something, ask my sister here," he said, slamming the door behind him.

"Sister?" Chrom asked in bewilderment.

Rose sighed in defeat. So much for a quiet morning.


"You screwed up," Tiki said bluntly, sipping on her tea.

"Look, I need to do something to prove that I'm on his side in this!" the tactician said, slumping in her seat.

Tiki pondered the situation for a couple of minutes. "There is one thing you can do."

Rose perked up at that.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." Tiki then began to explain her plan, which got

"No," Rose said, grimacing at the suggestion. They had talked about this before, but doing that was not something she was looking forward to.

"Why not?" Tiki said, clearly not surprised by the response.

"I–! Well…! Because–!"

"As eloquent as your response is, you can't keep postponing this," the manakete said.

"I… I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I have no idea what to do if we do that!"

The manakete rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You had years to prepare for it. You knew this was coming. But in this case, you don't have to do anything. Just let him take the lead. You can't direct his entire life."

Rose knew Tiki was right. At this point, this was the best course of action to take. It was also not fair to Robin to keep postponing it.

She didn't have to like it, though. The mercenary slammed her head on the table in defeat.

"Stop doing that! I had to polish it to remove the scratches from last time!"


Robin had been acting strangely all week, constantly tense and angry. However, he didn't take it out on anyone. Others had noticed, but none more so than Tharja.

After observing his interactions with other people– which did not count as stalking– she could easily pinpoint the reason for his change in demeanor.

Rose.

That was a strange realization that picked the sorceress's curiosity. Normally, those two got along better than anyone else, so it was bewildering that they were having some sort of fight. And yet, Robin was clearly doing all he could to avoid her.

Then Chrom had let it slip that they were siblings. While that had earned him the ire of the mercenary, it also helped explained Robin's emotional state.

It hadn't been that big of a surprise to anyone other than the prince, though. Everyone had noticed the similarities between the two, especially after Rose's face had been revealed to everyone after the Exalt's rescue. Both were Plegians with white hair and purple eyes. Facial structure, mannerism, and assortment of minor details betrayed her. Despite Rose's denial of any relationship with Robin, everyone that saw them interacting together could see there was more than a casual interest in the woman's part. The Shepherds had been either too polite to push the subject or too afraid to ask.

It was not strange that people had accepted her denials for so long, though. The pair may have looked similar but their personalities were too different. Robin had been friendly with everyone, even those that had suspicions about them, while Rose had always seemed to hold a sort of dubious hostility when she interacted with the Shepherds, though she had softened to some.

There was also the matter of their aura. Being proficient in the dark arts had made Tharja capable of feeling the auras of others. Amongst the Shepherds, none were more curious than that of the tacticians.

The darkness that she had felt from Robin was enticing, like a flame in the middle of a cold night.

Rose, though, had a different aura. She had felt conflicted and cold, only ever warming up to her fellow tactician.

Tharja wanted to know more about them but asking would never work, though. Good for her that she had other methods and, on a whim, Tharja decided to start with Rose.

Gathering the materials needed for the spell had been a trivial matter. Grinding the bones of a dead crow with the newt eyes the farmboy gathered and the toenails of the dragon girl had taken the better part of her afternoon, but Tharja didn't mind. A long strand of white hair she had managed to gather from the mess hall was added to the mix to complete the spell.

With a small explosion of smoke, the spell took hold and Tharja's mind felt the aether take her as she connected with the mercenary. She started thinking about what she could find in such enticing vault, thrilled to unravel her secrets.

The sorceress's curiosity was soon snuffed out, however, as her astral body froze in terror.

A gargantuan entity stood before her. Long, leathered wings covered the skies of her mind. Tharja's soul knew who it was that stood before her. Any Plegian could recognize the visage of their patron deity.

The Fell Dragon, Grima.

Fear rushed through her veins like cursed icy water. She tried to speak- plead- to the entity before her but she couldn't move as the glowing red eyes

The dragon roared. It was an ancient and powerful sound that vibrated throughout the world.

A set of images rushed into her mind. Knowledge she couldn't understand filled her brain. The world burning as undead ravaged the land. The Shepherds falling one by one, as did all the others that took a stand.

Pain. Fear. Anger. Betrayal. All these feelings were given shape inside her soul as Tharja understood who she has been dealing with.

Robin. Rose. Grima. One and the same, yet so different.

Grima roared again and reality reformed around her.


Tharja laid catatonic on the floor of her room, drenched in a cold sweat. A pool of urine had formed under her as the nightmarish images flowed into her mind. Her mouth remained frozen in a silent scream, with drool dripping out. She didn't know how long she laid there until the door of her room opened and closed, followed by the sound of heeled boots closing in.

"Scary in there, isn't it?"

The voice was calm, almost teasing, but carried an edge.

Rose kneeled before her tilting her head as she inspected the fallen woman. "You won't be doing that again, right?"

Tharja weakly shook her head, tears flowing from her eyes. She's scared. Screw her pride, she's terrified of the being before her.

"R-Robin...Y-You...G-Grima..."

"Ah, so you got that much," the tactician said, nodding to herself. "Sorry you had to do that, but you caught me in a foul mood. Then again, this was your fault. You shouldn't go poking around inside other people's heads," Rose chastised her. "Now, while I can assure you I don't have anything but the best intentions for you and the Shepherds, I can't let you keep that knowledge. Too valuable, you understand."

The white-haired woman raised her hand, and Tharja could see the tattoo of a serpentine dragon biting its own tail.

"Don't worry, I get the feeling you will all know the truth eventually. But until then…."

Her muscles didn't respond to her desires to run away, not wanted.

"Forget."

Darkness embraced her.


"Well, that deals with that issue," Rose said, closing the door behind her. It didn't take much to erase Tharja's memories of the past hour, especially since she had already linked her mind. Sadly for her, while damaged, Rose's mind was much more powerful than the sorceress's.

She also has been in a horrible mood after the whole mess with Robin.

It did give her the opportunity to rearrange some things in there, though. Hopefully the tweaks she made in there will reduce her creepy stalking nature.

It was not healthy for the girl, even if her intentions were… noble would be an exaggeration.

Then again, messing with her brain probably wasn't either.

Food for thought.

Her brother better thank her for this.

Still, while Tharja provided with a small distraction, Rose still had to deal with her brother.


"Robin."

The tactician ignored the voice of his sister, which was still a strange way to think about Rose. Sure, she had said she considered him a little brother, but to realize that was actually the case just made Robin feel betrayed and confused.

"Look, I know you are still pissed at me for not telling you everything but I did it for your own good."

"I wouldn't have abandoned the Shepherds," he said simply, walking towards the door that separated them and leaning against it. "I would have seen the war to the end."

"And I should've known that. It was a mistake on my part," she admitted and Robin could hear the sincerity in her voice. "I… I wasn't sure on how to deal with this, so maybe this wasn't the best course of action to take."

Robin wanted to snort but stopped himself.

"...I can offer you the answers you want," Rose said, catching his attention. "Take two weeks off. I'm going to take you on a trip. There, you will get your answers."

"Why not just tell me?" he asked, not amused at her game.

"I'm not sure you would believe me without proof at this point."

He couldn't deny that. "And I suppose you won't tell me more before we leave," he said, not really asking.

He could easily picture Rose's small, strained smile from the tone of her voice. "At this point, what's one more surprise? Please… Despite my silence, I haven't led you astray so far. I'm just asking for your trust one more time."

"...Let me think about it."

"That's all I ask."

After she left, Robin spent the entire afternoon in his office, mulling over his choices. He was still having a hard time thinking of Rose as his sister, even though she had already been acting as such since she took him under his wing. Maybe he was being unfair, seeing as she had done nothing but help him during the war, but to think she had been hiding such information made him feel toyed with.

A knock on the door caught his attention. "Who is it?" he asked, still thinking about his choice.

"It's Emmeryn, Sir Robin. May I come in?"

Robin bolted out of his chair and quickly opened the door to let Lady Emmeryn inside his office. "Your Grace! Excuse the mess, I wasn't expecting any visitors."

Emmeryn laughed lightly at his flustered reaction. "Now, now Sir Robin. You relax your tone around my siblings, but not for me? I do not think of myself as an intimidating woman," she said, offering him a motherly smile.

"Yes, of course. My apologies, it's just that so far our interactions have been mostly formal, so I have a hard time adopting the same tone as I do with Chrom and I don't want to offend," Robin motioned for her to sit on the chair across his desk, "Please, take a seat."

"Thank you and I understand. But I want us to talk normally, as I have something I want to discuss with you and I think you already know what that is."

Robin sighed. He should've expected something like this, though not from the Exalt herself. She was more like Chrom that she first appeared to be. "I suppose you mean my... sister?"

The Exalt nodded. "Indeed. Now, pardon if I am stepping into a private matter, but I wanted to offer some perspective."

The tactician blinked in confusion at that. "Perspective?"

"The perspective of an older sister," she said, smiling. "Now, I understand you resent the fact she hid this from you. But believe me when I say she did not do it out of malice. Even I have secrets I do not tell Chrom and Lissa, some even for their own good. Sincerity is the best policy but sometimes… Sometimes you have to keep silent."

"She said you and Phila know more of her situation," he said, keeping his voice respectively even. "Were you… Were you aware of our relationship?"

Emmeryn nodded. "Yes, and my apologies for not telling you sooner, but I didn't feel it was my place to intervene," she said, releasing a breath. "Rose is a woman damaged by tragedy- a shattered reflection of who she once was. With what has happened to her in the past, I understood why she will keep making secrets to protect those she cares for. One cannot blame a broken vase for being broken, Sir Robin. I know she made a mistake, and her approach was something I do not agree with, and excuse me if this sounds a little insensitive, but no one was really hurt because of it. You're alive and she did plan on telling you the truth in time. It's just that she thought she was doing it the right way."

"...She did mention that past friends betrayed her during our sessions, which would explain her trust issues. She never gave me the impression that she hid this out of malice…" Robin thought for a moment and sighed in defeat. "I guess I let my emotions get the better of me."

"It's understandable given your situation. Give her a chance and you will not regret it. I am sure of that," Emmeryn said, giving him that calming smile of hers.

Robin returned the smile. Emmeryn certainly lived up to her caring reputation. "Very well. I don't think I can easily forgive her but I will listen to what she has to say."

The Exalt clapped her hands, clearly pleased with the outcome. "Excellent! I will clear up your schedules so you can take time off. Do not worry about a thing and remember that whatever happens during this trip, you will always be welcome here."

"That means a lot to me, Your Grace."


"Lady Rose, if I may take a moment of your time?"

Rose stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the person that called her. She saw Virion walking towards her with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face, which picked her interest. "Of course," she said, motioning towards her office. Once inside, she motioned for him to sit down. "How can I help you Virion?"

"I felt it prudent to inform you that I will be departing towards Valm in the next few days. I have managed to secure assistance from Khan Flavia to send some troops to boost the defenses of Rosanne. It took a lot of convincing and a few promised but we reached an agreement."

Rose had informed Flavia of the situation on Valm before, so she was glad the Khan had heeded her advice enough to listen to Virion. "That's good to hear. I take it the dukedom remains free?"

The archer smiled and nodded. "Yes, my dear Cherche has done a magnificent job at keeping the city running," he said with pride and longing in his voice. Rose hoped he would soon propose to Cherche. "Your suggestion has proven to be quite a morale booster."

He, of course, was talking about something Rose suggested during their training sessions. Sending a letter to Rosanne to inform them that he had not run away, but had actually managed to gain troops from across that sea would not only help increase morale but would also restore Virion's reputation. It was a good thing he did secure Flavia's assistance, or else she would've to intervene again. Hopefully, that would help not only in making their allies stronger but also weakening Valm further before Ylisse has to interfere.

"And have you contacted Chon'sin?"

Virion sighed. "I have, but they are stretched thin as it is. Communication is slow, too, even with Anna's family working as intermediaries. And they are quite efficient at that."

Rose frowned but nodded, understanding that the situation was delicate, even if her actions had helped weaken the empire. "I can help with that," she said, reaching into her desk's drawer and pulling an envelope. "Take this letter and go to the address written on the envelope. There is a warrior named Priam that owes me a favor." More like she had him under threat after she kicked his ass. "Present this letter and he will fight for you along with his troops. They are only fifty men, but I dare say they are as strong as any Shepherd."

Virion took the letter, looking at it for a few moments. Slowly. "This is too much, milady. You've have helped me a lot and yet I feel I could never repay you.

The mercenary waved him off. "Do not worry about that. It's in everyone's best interests Walhart doesn't succeed. These troops will help you turn the tide of battle."

"Even so, to lead them into battle… You have seen how I lead."

"You learned from me and Robin, don't pretend you didn't. You are a good tactician yourself and you care about your people. Just make sure not to lose sight of that."

"Thank you," he said, his voice solemn.

Rose was almost moved by the sincerity in his voice. It reminds her of her own archer, but that was not here nor there.

"You're welcome."

Virion stood and offered Rose her hand. "I will be leaving for Rosanne soon. I hope we see each other again, Lady Rose."

Taking the hand and giving it a shake, Rose smirked. "Of that, I have no doubt. Best of luck to you."


"So, family trip?"

Robin snorted but still smiled at his friend. "Apparently," he said, fastening his bags to the horse he would be taking. Talking to Rose had been easy and she had everything ready for their trip. Apparently, she knew he would take her offer. "What will you be doing in the meantime, Chrom?"

"Phila suggested we run some training exercises to deal with the Abominations," Chrom said, frowning at the thought. "We are hearing reports that some bandit mages have gotten their hands on a few of those boxes and are using them to cause chaos and then loot villages."

Robin grimaced at the memories of the creatures. They had done a number on their troops and he could imagine the casualties small villages and outpost could suffer against even one of such creatures.

"That's a good idea. I have notes on them on my bookshelf. The book with the red cover."

"I will take a look at it later today. Might as well brush up on my strategic side. Gods know I need it," Chrom said with a sigh.

The amnesiac patted him on the shoulder and gave him a small smile. "You will be fine. I will only be gone for two weeks at most. I think you will be fine without me planning your meals."

Chrom snorted in good humor. "Now that I think about it, this will be the longest we have been separated since we met," he commented with a pensive look.

"Careful, Chrom. People will think we are married," Robin jested.

"Man, that would be weird."

The men laughed and shared a friendly hug.

"See ya soon, Robin."

"Take care, Chrom."

Saying their farewell, Robin mounted his horse and rode to the main gate where Rose was already waiting for him.

"Ready?" she asked.

Robin took a deep breath and nodded. "As I'll ever be..."


From her balcony, Emmeryn sat and watched the Plegian siblings depart. She hoped Robin would listen to her advice. "You think they will be ok?" she asked her bodyguard.

"If I had to spend a week alone with her I would probably kill myself," Phila said.

Emmeryn raised an eyebrow at that but smiled nonetheless. "I think it's nice that you two are such good friends."

Phila made a face at the implication.

"I rather not answer that, Your Grace. On more important matters, are you ready for the meeting next week."

A sigh escaped the Exalt's lips as she slumped slightly in her chair.


Watching the pair depart from a small cafe, a disguised Tiki hoped things worked out for them. While she didn't completely agree with how Rose had handled things since she joined the Shepherds and deviated from the original plan, she thought things were working out well so far.

Still...

The Voice closed her eyes and contacted her mother. "Are you sure this is this is the right course of action?"

"I believe this will make things easier for the Fellblood, my child. We should strive to take some burden off her shoulders."

Tiki sighed, looking at her teacup. "I hope you are right..."


Robin was going insane.

They have been riding for a couple of days now, and the entire journey had been filled with a tense and awkward silence. They only talked when stopping to rest and eat, and he was starting to hate it. His anger at her had simmered down, but he felt annoyed that she still refused to tell him everything even now. Still, he decided to trust her, as long as the end of this trip he had the answers he wanted. And yet, despite the revelation of being siblings, Robin could feel a wall form between them. Every day she looked more anxious, which was strange all by itself. He wanted to fix this situation if just to have someone to talk to.

Turning towards his sister, he noticed she was frowning, deep in thought and that only raised his curiosity.

"Something wrong?" he asked, breaking the silence for the first time all day.

Slightly startled at his question, Rose quickly composed herself and pursed her lips. "I feel like I'm forgetting something. Like an important date or event..."


Lucina was taking in the sights of Ylisse and burning them into her mind. Ever since she arrived at this time it felt like it was moving from one event to the other at a frightening pace that she couldn't get a moment of respite. That's why she was taking this moment to enjoy the peace and beauty of the untainted halidom.

The sound of quick footsteps followed by something hitting the ground broke the spell of peace.

"Hey, Lucy!" Cynthia said, picking herself from the floor and dusting her clothes. "Something occurred to me."

"Yes?" the princess asked motioning at her friend to sit at her side.

"Well I was thinking about our birthdays and doing some math in my head–Don't laugh Severa!" she yelled towards the other side of the camp. "Anyways, if I remember correctly your parents' wedding it's in a few weeks, right?"

"Correct. "

"Sooooooo shouldn't they be announcing their wedding about now? I always wanted to see a royal wedding!" the pegasus rider said with stars in her eyes.

Lucina's eyes widened. She ran the numbers in her mind and Cynthia was right. In fact, she remembered that the announcement was supposed to be done during the Victory Ball! But so far no news had caught their attention.

"Y-Yes… They should've..."

"My apologies for intruding, but I have a hypothesis on this that I've been meaning to discuss with you all."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense!" Cynthia said, motioning for him to continue.

"Quite. As you well know, many changes have occurred on the timeline. If I recall correctly, while Exalt Chrom did marry out of love, the ceremony was rushed by the nobility to give the people something to feel good about after the passing of Lady Emmeryn."

"But Lady Emmeryn is aliv–!" Cynthia said, trailing off as she realized where this was going.

So did Lucina.


Emmeryn knew something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. Dealing with new trade routes, restoration efforts, and the formation of a defensive army were things she expected and was prepared to deal with.

But this was something she would rather avoid.

"Your Grace, please reconsider. A royal wedding would certainly be something the people would love to experience," said one of the nobles she's sure was about to offer his child on a silver platter. "There are plenty of young nobles that would make perfect spouses for your siblings. Why, my dear Rachel just turned..."

'There it is.'

Yes, she knew it only a matter of time before the concept of marriage reared its ugly head. She had been spared since there were no male nobles around her age, having either died young from famine or simply being already married. A flimsy excuse, as most nobles didn't care for things like age gaps, but one that she exploited a much as possible.

That didn't help her siblings though. There were plenty of options for those two to choose from, but they would be loveless marriages. She swore to spare her sibling the burden of the crown and by Naga, she will also spare them the unhappiness of a political marriage.

"There is also the matter of continuing the Exalted bloodline. With the attempts to your life almost succeeding and your siblings continuing to take roles in the frontlines, there is a chance the Exalted line could die off. We need an heir to the throne to bring hope and stability to the Halidom," another duke added.

Even so, Emmeryn knew he had a point.

Still, she swore to herself to never place such burdens on Chrom and Lissa, and she's not about to go back on her words.

"I don't believe that is necessary. I have always maintained that my siblings should be allowed to marry only out of love. They have fought on the frontlines of this war to protect our people. I think they have earned that much."

It pleased Emmeryn that so many of them had headed her word. There were those that wanted a royal match for their children looked discontent. That's a minor setback, however. She noticed that her siblings sighed in relief, but kept her attention on the gathered nobles.

"But there is merit to the idea," she admitted, startling Chrom and Lissa. "I will need to discuss the idea with an acquaintance of mine first, but I think I can offer an alternative."

What she learned from Rose and Tiki, especially considering her close brushes with death, has thought her life is too short to not enjoy it to the fullest. And if others could benefit from it, well, that's good too.

Rose and Tiki had granted her this chance by saving her life and she's not going to waste it.

She needed to talk to Aedan.


Rose shrugged. "Ehh, probably nothing important."

"Huh," was all Robin could say.


Cynthia had always seen Lucina as a rock to hang on to in a raging river. An oasis in a storm that never seemed to end. Never losing her cool and ready to fight, even in the face of insurmountable odds.

Then again, Lucina had never faced an existential crisis at the possibility of collapsing a timeline and erasing her own birth.

"Breathe, Lucina! Breathe!" Cynthia shouted while holding down a panicking "Brady! Get your butt over here!"

"Hold yer horses, I'm comin'!" The rough-looking priest yelled, running as fast as he could. "Now, what got yer royal knickers in a twist!"

Lucina continued to hyperventilate.

Brady scratched his head as he looked at their leader. "Err, this is not something that can be fixed with a staff..."

"Gosh dang it Lucina! Get a hold of yourself!" the pegasus rider yelled, grabbing the princess's shoulders to try and calm her down. "What do I do, Brady!?"

"I dunno, slap some sense into her or something," he said, shrugging.

"Alright!"

Lucina finally stopped she Cynthia punched her in the jaw and knocking her out.

"Ok, that that you have calmed dow– " Cynthia trailed off, noticing the unconscious royal on the floor.

"What in tarnation!? I told ya to slap her, not to punch her teeth out!"

"...Oh, right. Open palm, not closed fist. Forgot about that..." she muttered, face red as she ignored Severa's laughs.


The pair of tacticians arrived at their destination later in the afternoon, stopping only to rest their mounts and eat their lunch. The place had a quaint feel to it when compared to the capital city, but it remained beautiful and untouched by the war. Just like it had been all the times Rose had visited it in the past.

"Go," Rose said, motioning to a house near a small farm down the path they were on. "You will find your answers in that house."

Her brother looked at her with a questioning eyebrow. "You're not coming? I don't even know what's down there."

Rose remained silent for a short while. "It's… It's better if you do this alone. I will stay around here if you need me for anything. Just don't mention me."

Robin gave her a concerned look but didn't press, respecting the offer of trust. He tied his horse to a tree near a small pond and started walking down the path towards the house. Rose then walked into the forest, arriving at a camp that had been set up outside of view. There were a few mercenaries resting there, who Rose had been happy to recognize.

"Halt! Who goes there?" a tall man with hair that looked like the mane of a lion.

"Calm down Rytlock, it's me."

The man relaxed at the voice, recognizing her. "Well, would you look at that. The little flower came out all the way out here to check us?" Rytlock said, crossing his arms and resting against a tree. He waved off the rest of his team to get back into their seats. "I sent Popola the updates on the mission as per your contract."

Rose shook her head. "I don't doubt your professionalism. Some… unexpected circumstances forced me to move my timetable."

"Huh, fair enough," Rytlock said, not really interested. He did give her a measuring look. "Hmm…"

"Something the matter?" Rose asked, her hood hiding her raised eyebrow.

"Your tongue is looser than the last time I saw you."

Rose sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Everyone says the same thing. The last few months have been eventful but that's neither here nor there. Look, has anything happened in the past week and a half?"

Rytlock grunted and nodded. "Some bandits looking for an easy mark, though they were no challenge. But there were some suspicious Plegians lurking around. We took them out as per your request, though they were not some run of the mill thieves. These were professional assassins. Put up a half a decent fight," he said as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Who exactly are we protecting, again?"

"If I give you this purse of gold, will you stop asking questions?" Rose said, pulling out said item from her bag.

Taking it, her fellow mercenary nodded. "And just like that, my curiosity is sated.

"Rytlock! Food is ready!" someone called from the bonfire.

"Calm your tits, Caithe! I'll be right there!" he yelled back. Rylock then turned towards Rose with a friendlier expression, now that business has been concluded. "You wanna sit down with us? We got some extra food and I'm sure the others won't mind the company."

Rose shook her head, looking at the small farm with a longing expression. "Maybe some other time. I… I think I will want to watch for a little while and then take some time for myself."

Rytlock nodded and didn't press. "Suit yourself," he said, leaving Rose to watch her brother with a conflicted expression.


The strange feeling of familiarity continued to envelop Robin. He shook his head and knocked on the door. It soon opened and his heart nearly stopped. If you looked at the woman without much scrutiny she could easily pass off as being in her early thirties, but looking at her up close Robin could tell she's at least her late forties. Her white hair pulled into a braid while her pale skin had a slight tan, most likely from working in the sun.

What struck Robin the most had to be that she looked a lot like an older Rose.

Her face lit up in recognition and Robin soon found himself enveloped by a tight hug. She's strong, most likely from working the fields, but still held a soft warmth in them that made him feel safe and at home.

"Robin! Thank the gods you're ok!" she said, her voice filled with concern.

The tactician stood frozen in her arms, despite the warm feelings rushing through him. The woman didn't seem to notice, even as she pulled away to take a look at him.

"I have been so worried something happened to you since you left the farm. Then you just stop writing home and I have to hear from a wandering merchant that my son is now a war hero after slaying the Mad King?" Morgana scolded her son who stood dumbfounded in front of her.


AN: So big change there huh? A little wrench in the whole timeline thing. Fun times.

I finally published one of those one-shots I kept postponing. It's called What she deserves. Check it out and give me your feedback. I always appreciate it.

Thanks to Victory3114, Shipping Rates Apply and Xbro Kong for checking my work, as always.